A New Beginning
by haxaya
Summary: After the death of her parents Rio does everything to get away from her old life of being a farmer's daughter, that is until she ends up with the responsibility of her parents abandoned farm in a neighbouring village from the beginning of their marriage.
1. Prologue: A Letter to My Younger Self

**Prologue: A Letter To My Younger Self**

Dear my younger self,

I'm _sorry._

I'm sorry for who I have become. It isn't your fault; you didn't know this was going to happen. I'm sorry you won't be as happy anymore. I'm sorry I broke the promise you made to yourself.

Remember when you used to chase chickens in the field and you'd make daisy chains out of the flowers that grew on the farm? Don't forget how happy you were. Please. Don't forget dad's smile (you won't see it anymore). Don't forget mum telling you, 'You're so brave' when she put plasters over the cuts you accumulated from your adventures (she won't be there to put plasters on you anymore, she'll never call you brave either).

Remember how big the cows in the barn are and how big the ocean is whenever you swim in it.

Remember _everything,_ because it'll be gone one day. I'm sorry that I didn't live up to your dreams. I'm sorry I let you down.

Love Rio


	2. Renaissance

**Chapter 1**

The dull thud of Rio's heeled boots was the only sound that surfaces from the gloomy and damp path as she dragged her suitcase towards the railway station. The walk to the main station at the edge of Zephyr was long and tiring, yet the silence the walk provided appealed more than being driven by her talkative friends. _They would have made a big deal out of nothing. I don't want Martha and Layla to cause a scene anyway,_ Rio thought to herself. She felt guilty that she had distanced herself from her closest friends over the last several weeks. They had continued to reach out to Rio, to offer words of comfort and support, but Rio couldn't open up to them and accept the help they were extending. They were good, caring people who Rio didn't deserve.

Rio's pace began to slow down as a pain shot through her arms and feet, making it uncomfortable to move forward. She leaned against one of the trees beside her to rest for a moment whilst wiping the frustrated tears that began to cloud her vision. _So weak and pitiful,_ she cursed under her breath. Rio wasn't typically weak, a childhood of labour on her parent's farm had made her accustomed to carrying heavy loads. The suitcase full of her possessions would have been a relatively simple feat. But that was before. Before her parents died a month ago. Before she sold the farm to her uncle and stopped bothering to look after herself. Rio pulled her mobile phone out of the back pocket of her jeans and groaned as she glanced at the clock. 9:37. Rio was going to miss her train if she didn't hurry. She heaved her suitcase through the wet grass and back onto the pavement. She walked as fast as her feet would allow her to, towards the station.

Rio stumbled into the train almost an hour later, glancing around desperately through the crowd of commuters to find a seat, only to see that they had all been taken. She walked through the carriages carrying her suitcase closely in her arms as she awkwardly squeezes in and out of the standing passages. Rio was met with the same sight on all of the carriages she walked through, a lack of empty seats and little space. Defeated, she squeezed past a group of business men and lingered quietly at the sides. She pulled a pair of earphones out of her pocket and put them in silently. Not because she wanted to listen to music. She didn't care for music much anymore. She'd lost interest in a lot of things that had once given her comfort because they threatened to bring back memories of her life that she'd never get back. She'd gotten her music taste from her dad, most of the songs that filled her phone were ones he'd introduced her to. She simply put them in so no one would bother her. It allowed her to be disconnected.

"What are you doing for the Harvest Festival?" One of the nearby businessmen on the train asked his colleagues. Rio glanced over at them briefly before going back to staring at the ground.

"My wife is cooking a large meal and then we're taking my son to the town hall for the celebrations." The colleague replied as a small smile crept on his lips, "My sons finally at the age where he can appreciate things like this and understand them more. I'm hoping to make some good memories with him."

Rio stopped listening after that, distracted by the memories that she had left of the Harvest Festival spent with her parents growing up. She wasn't going to have a family anymore to celebrate festivals with. A lump formed in her throat as Rio quickly squeezes her eyes shut, refusing to let herself shed anymore tears. Memories should fill people with happiness, they should be a refuge in times like this. A reminder that even though people aren't around anymore they were still there once to make special moments with you. For Rio they were just a reminder of the past that she could never return to, the people she would never see again. Rio wished for her memories to be like water, to slip away from her mind easily and calmly and no longer cause her pain.

The train became less and less occupied as the hours passed. It was a long journey to Rio's next destination. Eventually she was able to find a seat for herself and savour the silence of the now almost empty train. Rio sank into her seat and closed her eyes, letting her exhaustion take over her and pull her to slee-

"RIO~ RIO~ RIO~ YOU HAVE A MESSAGE FROM ME~ ANSWER IT YOU BRAT!"

Rio's eyes snapped open as she scrambled to silence her phone, instantly regretting her decision to let Martha record a personal message alert tone. Rio's cheeks began to redden as a family at the back of the carriage stared at her disapprovingly for filling the quiet carriage with noise.

"Sorry…" Rio mumbles as she clumsily fumbled around her pocket for her phone and silenced the obnoxious sound coming from it. Mortified and wishing she could fade away from the passengers who were still staring at her, Rio bowed her head to cover her face and stared at the message her friend has send her.

 **'** **Mikhail said you left already. Why didn't you say goodbye? This is stupid Rio, you don't know anyone in Echo Town. You have Mikhail, Layla and everyone else here for you. I know you're struggling right now and things are hard for you but let us help, running away won't solve anything. Just tell this Dunhill guy you don't want to live in that house and sell it, it's your property now after all. You could come and stay with me and Hiro until you find your own place. I'm sure this Dunhill guy will understand. Your family and friends are where you belong, here in Zephyr. Please stop running.'**

But she could. That's exactly what Rio intended to do. Keep running. Leave everything behind and run away from it all. She was leaving with no intention of coming back. In this cloudy world the only silver lining was the house she had been left in her parents will from the beginning of her parents' marriage in a town she had never heard of before. Rio never wanted to go to Zephyr again. She never wanted to _ever_ see a farm again. She'd pushed people away and felt like she was going everyone a favour by disappearing quietly from their lives. Rio wanted to be alone so she wouldn't lose anyone ever again.

The sun was completely obscured by the dark clouds that covered the entire sky when Rio arrived in Echo. She felt an icy chill rocket across her skin as her body began to shiver. Hot breathes left Rio's mouth in ghost plumes, rising up to meet the overcast sky before disappearing completely from her view. Zipping her jacket up as quickly as she could, Rio trudged through the hurricane of falling leaved determined to get to the mayor's house so she could receive the keys to her new beginning as quickly as possible. As she walked she began to imagine the new place she would finally find solace in. Would it be a tiny cottage? A large house? Rio wanted to feel hopeful.

A large and monstrous rumble from the dark cloud above vibrated through the air as she walked in the direction of what looked like the main village area. It looked empty, Rio couldn't see a single person outside. Rio wasn't surprised, seeing as the weather was less than inviting, yet she still expected the atmosphere to seem more lively. It was the Harvest Festival after all. Rio dug through her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with the mayor's address on it. The paper was wet from the rain that has seeped through her clothing and it was hard to make out the house number through the heavily smudged ink.

The sound of a nearby door opening abruptly a few meters away took Rio's attention away from the crumpled and soggy piece of paper in her hand.

" _Forget it."_ Hissed the golden haired man as he glanced back at the figure standing in the doorway.

Rio stopped walking and watched the scene unfold quietly, curious at what has caused this outburtst from the angry looking mad.

"I'll see you tomorrow at your stall." The figure in the doorway chuckled before closing the door. He was obviously amused by what has happened. Rio debated whether to ask the man for directions before he walked off out of sight, but the scowl planted on his face was less than inviting.

"Excuse me…?" Rio asked quietly in attempt to gain the young man's attention.

" _What?"_ he hissed sharply.

Rio felt heat rise to her cheeks as she backed away slightly. The man glanced at Rio then widened his eyes in surprise. They were an unusual shade of red. _How fitting for his disposition,_ Rio thought quietly.

"…S-Sorry." He put his hands in his pocket and stared at the ground awkwardly. "I thought you were someone else…"

"It's okay." Rio mumbled then glanced down at the piece of paper in her hands before speaking up. "You don't happen to know where Dunhill, the mayor of this place lives, do you?"

The man signed and looed irritated before pointing to the house he had just stormed out of.

"He lives there." He stated bluntly before walking away before Rio could thank him. Rio shook her head and walked over in the direction of the cottage the strange man had just directed her to.

This was it. Rio was mere moments away from receiving the keys to her new life.

Goodbye farm, hello new beginning.


	3. Farm

Rain can be a beautiful thing. The muse of poetry. A kiss that awakens the sleeping earth and brings to life vibrant coloured flowers and lush green grass. It can be peaceful; constant and not too nerve wracking. For many the sound of rain is a perfect lullaby, shielding you with its curtain of water and protecting people from the outside world.

Today the rain was different. The rain wasn't peaceful or smoothing. Instead the angry grey storm clouds rolled and swelled from outside of Rio's window, spitting each drop of rain towards the group as if it were poison. The sound of the raindrops crashing onto the ground made Rio short tempered, nervous, threatened.

Rio opened her eyes slowly and sat up in her makeshift bed for the night. The mattress and tiny blanket she slept on contributed little to a decent night sleep. Rio squinted her eyes and glanced around the dark, dusty room, confused by the sight of different shaped boxes spread around the place. It took a few moments in her sleep deprived state before the wave of realisation hit her. She was in _that_ room. The previous events were not a nightmare, just a cruel twist of fate. _Reality._ Life's reminder that she couldn't run away from anything. Rio cursed under her breath and buried her head into the mattress, wishing for the downpour outside to wash everything away. To pour down and rinse away the world.

Rio pulled the tiny blanket over her head hoping it would envelop her as she sobbed herself back to sleep.

It was past noon when she dragged herself out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen.

"Welcome, you must be Rio! Cliff and Lyn's daughter, right? Come come!" The mayor, Dunhill, beamed cheerfully as he ushered Rio inside. He took his tattered brown hat off and wiped his brow before sitting down and patting the seat beside him. Rio sat down shyly and glanced around the dusty room, there were books piled in every available spare space and a few trench coats were scattered across the floor.

"Do you want a cup of tea?" He asked, standing up quickly then walking over to what looked like a tiny kitchen area. Before Rio could respond he put a kettle onto the small stove and started talking again.

"Now last time I saw you, you were just a toddler!" He chuckled as he pouted the tea into two china cups and placed them on a tray. "Your parent's farm was always so beautiful, they really were the perfect team. I remember your father telling me how he fell in love with the way your mother used to make bouquets when they first met, she always had such an eye for detail. Farming really is in your families' blood."

Dunhill handed Rio a cup of tea and eased himself back into his armchair slowly. With what seemed to be a trend, Dunhill went on to talk about something else before Rio had the chance to respond. "You look just like your father, you know. Anyone who knew him would be able to tell you're his daughter. And just look at your hair, it's gotten so long! I imagine it must get in the way quite a bit when working on the farm. You've turned into such a beautiful young woman; your parents would be so proud."

Rio shifted uncomfortably in her seat, wishing Dunhill would change the subject to something else other than her parents. She came here to forget the past, not dig it up.

Dunhill continued to reminisce about the past for a long time after that. As the clock hands ticked, Rio could tell Dunhill was a lonely man, always bringing up new areas of conversation in order to prolong the time she was in his house. Rio felt sorry for him, but also exhausted by the conversation despite not having many opportunities to contribute to it.

Rio wondered if they were the same.

Alone and without anyone.

Dunhill grabbed his tattered trench coat from the rack beside the door and gestured Rio to follow him outside. "Now this is the bit you've been waiting for. Your new home is a two-minute walk from here, it's located on a peaceful plot of land but it's still near the local amenities here. I'd be happy to give you a guided tour once you've settled into your new home." He smiled warmly as he pointed out the scenery on the way. Rio nodded politely and followed his lead.

 _'_ _At least the scenery is nice,'_ Rio thought to herself as she basked in the fresh scent of unpolluted nature. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest with each step she took. After Dunhill gave another lengthy explanation of what the town had to offer they arrived at the end of a small path adorned with trees. It was then when Rio saw her new 'home' for the first time that the world suddenly started spinning around her.

"… I know it's no paradise but…"

Rio couldn't make out anything Dunhill was saying. Whatever it was didn't matter. She froze and started at the large area of land in front of her. The first thing that caught her attention was an abandoned looking barn in the corner of the land.

 _No no no no no._

Next her eyes move to the small cottage just beyond the field in front of her.

"There is only one bedroom but it's a cozy little house." Dunhill explained as he continued walking, oblivious to the breakdown Rio was experiencing.

Rio tried to take a deep breath and reassure herself. This couldn't be her new house. Dunhill was just taking a detour in an attempt to most likely prolong the conversation. Her new place would be behind this… _Farm._ Rio hoped with all her will power and prayed to the Harvest Goddess that this wasn't her new home. She wasn't ready.

Hope is a paper boat that sinks.


	4. Hossan

**Chapter 4**

"Now Lucy, have you been plotting my murder whilst I was away?" Rio announced to her bovine as she dragged a bag of feed into the barn. As usual Lucy, who had adopted the incredibly loving nickname of Lucifer on more recent occasions, was as ever the sulky bovine she was when she was first put into Rio's care. The addition of Lucy had brought an obstacle of Rio's intentions not to pursue a farming life, even though the cow was stubborn and hard work, Rio couldn't just leave a poor creature without care. Animals meant so much to her parents, she didn't want to disrespect them or any animal like that.

"Shall I take your huffing as a yes, or are you revealing your plans to me in cow-talk?" Rio wasn't entirely sure if cows possessed the ability to roll their eyes, but she was sure that she received the equivalent. Lucy huffed, as if to answer with 'whatever, human' before moving on to eat the food Rio had just laid down for her. Rio picked up a broom that was propped against the barn wall and began to sweep clean hay over the barn.

When Rio glanced up from her task she noticed that Lucy wasn't by the food trowel she was previously eaten from. Lucy, the cow who marched by the beat of her own drum, had probably wondered off somewhere. Rio cursed at herself for forgetting to close the barn door behind her.

"I don't know if you'll be able to go out into the field for a while, Lucy... Its freezing out ther-"

Rio was quickly cut off by the sound of someone tapping their foot impatiently. She glanced up to see Neil standing in the doorway, behind him was Lucy-fer rubbing her head against Neil's arm affectionately. Rio let out a groan.

"You do realise that I don't have time to babysit the newcomer. You should actually keep an eye on her next time." Neil scowled.

Rio raised her eyebrow, "Sorry. She must have must have sneaked off whilst I was cleaning this place." She walked over and tried to lead Lucy back into the barn. "I… I agree that you shouldn't baby sit me. You'd be an awful babysitter. I haven't seen any children here yet, perhaps you scared them off with your attitude." Rio intended to guide Lucy straight into the barn and coolly wait for Neil to leave. In her head she had planned for him to walk off sulking and for Lucy to comply as she attempted to guide her back into the barn. However, reality seemed to work differently. Lucy didn't budge an inch, and Neil stood still pinching the bridge of his nose. Rio could feel her cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

"She's not used to you so you have to show her some affection. And judging by how your cow acts around you it looks like you need a babysitter." He jeered before leading Lucy inside and taking a brush out of his pocket. "If you brush her everyday then she'll trust you more."

Neil placed the brush in Rio's hand and folded his arms.

"Thanks." She mumbled, bringing the brush to Lucy and stroking her gently.

Neil sighed irritatedly and placed his hand over Rio's quickly, helping her to guide it over Lucy's coat.

"Like this. Taking care of a cow is pretty simple when you know how. Even _you_ should be able to do it."

Neil let go of her hand and stood back to watch as Rio mimicked the slow and gentle brush movements he had shown her. To Rio's surprise (and relief) Lucy appeared to relax under her touch. For Rio it felt as though in that short moment they had bonded, even if Lucy would go back to hating her the next morning.

"Well it looks like you probably won't kill her for tonight at least." Neil grumbled, interrupting the short moment of calm between Rio and Lucy.

Rio placed her brush on herself and sighed, "Oh Neil, you have so little faith in me."

Neil shoved his hand into his pocket and raised an eyebrow, "We'll see. Just remember to keep Lucy's food stocks filled, I don't want to have to supply you with medicine." He then walked out of the barn without saying goodbye or glancing back.

"What a charmer he is…" Rio muttered. Lucy mooed as if to say 'Like you're any better."

The brutal Autumn months slowly faded and transformed into the most sadistic Winter the town had witnessed in years. As the days progressed, the carpets of leaves that had decorated the ground for so long were quickly replaced by several inches of snow then ice as soon as December rolled in. When Rio did venture out of the safety of her tiny cottage and braved the howling beats of winter so she could trek into the village, the shops and houses were usually closed, with no traces of anyone outside. As the season progressed the snarling whirlwind of snow hurling tiny pellets of pain became too much and Rio would only endure the dreaded sensation of stinging cheeks to feed and check on Lucy.

The cold has seemed mild at first when Rio first trekking into town, but now it had numbed her face and hands. Whatever residual heat she had absorbed from her tiny home had disappeared, Rio was very mistaken to think that a thick winter jacket and boots could equal to the task of preserving her body heatt. She walked into the general store quickly, blowing furiously on her hands before shoving them into her pocked and tucking her chin to her chest. All while she fervently tried to wish away the ice that clung to her hair.

The general store wasn't any haven from the cold, instead it was only a fraction better than what it was outside. Rio reluctantly removed her hands from her pockets and clumsily reached out for a bag of rice. She glanced up at the shelf above the small selection of food, above it was several bags of different Spring seeds. Rio stared at the collection silently for a moment, almost reaching out to take a bag but stopping herself before she grasped it. With a heavy sigh so counted the coins she had on her and walked over to the counter with the bag of rice. Hana, the kind elderly woman who ran the store, wasn't there.

"… Hana?"

There was no response. If Hana wasn't at the counter she was usually in the back room, but today she wasn't in the shop. _That's strange…_ Rio pulled her rucksack off of her back and searched inside for a notepad. Once she had found it at the bottom of her bag she tore a page out and wrote a note for Hana, along with the money she owed for the rice. After placing the note by the till and putting the rice into her backpack, she buried her hands back into the safety of her pockets and walked out into the square.

"Well thanks for everything" bellowed a loud voice. Rio raised her head to see whose voice it belonged to. The owner had his back to her.

"Hossan, you really are leaving town?" another voice asked sadly. The voice belonged to Emma. Rio didn't know everyone in this town since she didn't make too much of an effort to socialise, but it was hard not to know Emma. Emma was a cheery woman in her forties who, whenever she saw Rio, would always greet her and encourage Rio to do her best. At first Rio felt intimidated by Emma's cheerful personality and happy-go-lucky mindset, but she eventually found it was hard not to feel comfortable around Emma. When Rio had first arrived in Echo town Emma had knocked on her door with a bowl of apples and talked her through how to use the shipping bin outside of Rio's new house. Emma was nice.

"Everyone here has been so good to us but there is no point in an inn with no one coming to stay." The man, who Rio assumed was Hossan, sighed and patted the cart full of belongings beside him.

"Yes… You're right…" Hana nodded quietly and attempted to smile at him, "Of course."

"We're going to try running an inn in another town. I don't know if it'll work out but we'll give it a try, right Niko?" Hossan ruffled a young boy's hair. The young boy grinned and nodded in agreement.

"I understand but do say you'll be coming back." Emma sighed, shaking her head before continuing, "We'll be waiting for you, Hossan."

"This is our hometown, Emma." Hossan tried to laugh in an attempted to brighten the atmosphere but nothing changed. It was still regretful. "We'll be back. We may even make it big in another town and come back rich."

Hana sniffed and wiped her eyes, "Yes you may indeed. I hope you'll remember us when that happens, young man!"

Hossan chucked and lifted his son onto the cart, "Of course!" He patted his horse hesitantly before turning back to the small crowd of villagers gathered around him. "We better get going."

"We'll see you from the exit of town. As this is goodbye… For a while, hopefully." Emma spoke quietly before hugging Hossan and walking with the others towards the town exit.

Rio glanced around. Thinking about it, Echo town was rather empty and bare. A lot of houses were empty and there didn't seem to be many citizens, especially young people. Neil appeared to be the only other person that was Rio's age. Rio pulled up her hood and walked to the town square where Neil's stall was set up. She assumed that perhaps he would know more about whatever situation the town was going through that meant what little villagers that resided there had to leave.

Rio was surprised to see that Neil's stall was actually open in conditions like this, especially since it provided no shelter from the cold. But then again Rio didn't pity Neil's circumstances too much since Neil had given her Lucy-fer the demon bovine, so she didn't feel too bad.

"Hey, Neil." She spoke, attempting to sound casual. "Can I ask you something?"

In response, Neil folded his arms and sighed, a mannerism that he always adopted when communicating with Rio, "If you don't have any business here then leave."

Rio raised her eyebrow, "Oh right, business is booming."

Rio adopted the same pose as Neil, folding her arms then making an effort to look around her.

"Oh wait, what business?" she scoffed. If Neil wasn't going to attempt at all to have a friendly, or at the very least mildly pleasant interaction with Rio then she wasn't going to be nice either. To the other residents, she responded quietly and meekly when they conversed with her, but something about Neil made her speak up and bicker back.

Neil scowled at Rio, causing her to smile ever so slightly. To others, Neil's glare would probably do the job of scaring them off like Neil probably intended, but to Rio it made her want to irritate him even more. She had to admit that it was a nice distraction from everything.

"Anyway, I have a question."

Rio noticed a stock list placed on the countertop of Neil's stool, distractedly she glanced down it. She smirked and tapped her finger on the service listed just below the animals he sold. "Woah, wait. You impregnate animals for free?"

Neil's red eyes fell in line with Rio green ones, before swiftly looking away and folding his arms again. "What of it?" He muttered irritably. His annoyance only encouraged Rio to push further.

Rio could feel the corner of her mouth twitch into her cheeks, she narrowed her eyes and cocked her head. "So… Does that mean you enjoy impregnating things? Wow Neil, you're full of surprises."

Neil almost choked, Rio felt a small victory in seeing his face turn bright red with embarrassment after dealing with his attitude for the past few weeks. He sputtered some incoherent reply and scoffed in an attempt to downplay his reaction. Rio laughed as she watched him tap his food angrily.

"Is that your question?" he growled.

"No, sorry." Rio chucked to herself quietly and regained her composure. "I actually wanted to ask why this place is so empty."

It was obvious Neil was annoyed, but after glaring at Rio for a few moments he began answering Rio's question.

"A long time ago this place was really popular, but eventually villagers moved out one after another to find work in the city. Now only a few people live here. Old man Dunhill was really excited about you coming here, he kept going on about how you'd be able to revitalise this town and get people to come back her again." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "He even tried to rope me into helping you out by giving you that cow."

"Oh…" Rio didn't know how to feel. Guilty? Confused? Angry? She felt bad that Dunhill had put all of her hope into someone as hopeless as her, she felt guilty when she thought about all those evenings he'd come to check up on her farm… Only to find that she hadn't done anything. Yet angry that he had placed all his thoughts and demands on her, an orphan young girl who just wanted to be left alone to brood.

Rio glanced back at Hana's general store and shoved her hand into her pocket, feeling around to see how many coins she had in there. She had enough for a couple of bags of seeds…

Rio looked back at Neil and uttered quickly, "Thank you… Don't have too much fun impregnating cows or whatever you do whilst I'm busy!"

With that she rushed towards the general store.

 _No matter how small and flickery the light is, there is no darkness that consumes it._


End file.
